Paraphernalia

Paraphernalia was a boutique and clothing line that was started in 1965 by Puritan, a conservative dress manufacturer that wanted to cash in on the exploding youth market of the mid-1960s. Paraphernalia employed some of the most innovative designers of the 1960s — Betsey Johnson, Deanna Littell, and Diana Dew. They imported from England the designs of Mary Quant and Foale and Tuffin.

The store was very successful, so they began to franchise. Within three years there were 44 Paraphernalia stores in the US. The chain eventually went public and by the early 1970s it was just another clothing store.

The mid-1960s clothing with labels featuring the name of the designer is very collectible. The bottom label is found on clothing from the 1970s and 1980s, which are not as important.

See also: Youthquake

Written by fuzzylizzie

from a mid/late 1960s dress

Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com

from a late 1960s minidress

Courtesy of emmapeelpants

from a mid/late 1960s hippie princess dress

Courtesy of novafashions

from a 1980s garment

Courtesy of ikonicvintage